


First Birthday

by Saidicam29



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 06:08:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6503926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saidicam29/pseuds/Saidicam29
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Vulcans do not celebrate birthdays, and this causes some rift when a significant one comes due.  I wrote this a long time ago, but I'm not sure if it was ever posted anyway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Birthday

Sarek entered his home, eagerly anticipating his wife's exuberant reaction to his early arrival. He heard her jubilant laughter coming from upstairs as he entered the kitchen to procure some naric juice to quench his thirst from his unaccustomed walk in the hottest part of the day. He poured some of the semi-sweet liquid from the carafe. Since Spock had begun taking some regular foods, Amanda had become diligent in providing only freshly prepared fare. Nutritionally it was unnecessary as the replicated equivalents contained the same vitamins and minerals, but as Sarek took a deep pull from his glass he could not argue with his wife's efforts. 

"Oh, Spock!"

Sarek twitched an eyebrow as another peal of laughter floated down to him. Putting his items away, Sarek moved up the stairs to see which of his son's antics had his wife so amused.

He could hear his wife speaking, although it seemed to someone other than their son. Pausing to listen more closely, Sarek realized with some surprise that she was in his study. He heard his son babble in his pseudo-language which was a mixture of Standard and Vulcan, and something else that was neither Vulcan or Terran, but which both his parents claimed to hear the beginnings of their native words. Sarek stepped into the opened doorway, coming to a sudden halt.

The room had been transformed. Sarek stared numbly at the multitude of colorful balloons and streamers filling his office. His chair was pushed away from his desk, in it sat many colorfully wrapped gifts. Where his chair belonged sat his son in his safety chair, a bright, pointed paper hat perched upon his thinly-haired head. His desk was…chaos. Gone were the tidy, organized piles of papers and PADDs – contracts, treaties, research, and reports he spent endless hours working on – and in its place was a large portion of crumbled remains from what he assumed was a cake-like food. The remainder of the confection was scattered across the polished volcanic stone desktop and his son.

From the comm. unit perched upon the desk – not excluded from the pastry shrapnel – Sarek recognized the voices of several of his wife's kinsmen.

"Sa Sa!" Spock exclaimed, having spotted his father. He held out his sticky fists, opening them to show Sarek the treat held within, dropping more crumbs onto the tiled floor.

Amanda turned toward him suddenly, her smile vanishing. "You're…uh," she glanced guiltily toward the comm. unit, plastering a false smile upon her lips. "You're home early."

Sarek let his eyes roam across the room meaningfully. "Explain."

Amanda shrugged. "Just having a little celebration. Spock turned one year old today."

"One Standard year," Sarek corrected.

"It's an Earth custom. You know that."

Sarek nodded hesitantly, his eyes sliding toward the comm. unit. "We are not on Earth," he said softly, reminding her of their agreement. She tensed and he felt the spark of anger across their bond. "It is done," he conciliated to avoid a public confrontation. "See to your guests, my wife. We can speak of it another time." An explosion of laughter from the comm. unit drew the couple's attention away from each other and back to their son, who had managed to grab a balloon and was now coating it with the cake remains. 

"Spock!" Amanda laughed, bending down to plant a kiss against his sticky cheek. "You're a silly boy!"

Sarek slipped unnoticed from the room.

**~~**

He had mediated, fed himself, and consulted all the latest news feeds for current topics. Tradition or not, he could put off his work no longer. He entered the room, disquieted but nevertheless prepared for an unpleasant encounter with his mate should she object to him ousting her from his office. He was relieved to find the "party" had already reached its conclusion, and his office was mostly cleared of evidence that it had occurred. 

Amanda looked up from replacing items on his desk. "There," she said impudently, "everything is back exactly like it was. It's like the party never happened." She stepped out from behind his desk as he took her place.

Sarek gazed down, taking inventory of his possessions. He shifted his pile of PADDs 2.8 centimeters to the left, his papers 1.6 centimeters to the right, and rotated left to be square with the desk. "Now it is as it was," he said.

"Give me a break," she muttered, shaking her head in disgust.

"I beg your pardon," Sarek uttered as he took his seat and began sorting through the work before him.

"You're acting ridiculous. It was just some cake and frosting, and this is the only room with a long range comm. unit."

"Spock is not supposed to be fed confections yet," he reminded her, perusing the latest demands submitted on the J'lakuria-Tark'lor peace treaty. "It is unknown how it might affect his system."

"There was nothing in it he couldn't have. I made it myself," she crossed her arms and turned from him. "I'm not stupid."

"No," Sarek agreed quietly, "not stupid."

Amanda spun around angrily. "It should hardly have surprised you. You've been an Ambassador to Earth for over thirty years."

"Thirty-six point eight four," Sarek corrected her. "Not that it is relevant to the topic at hand."

"You've given me birthday gifts before." Before….before we moved here….before we had Spock… The unspoken words loomed large between them.

"Yes," he admitted. "Because you were human, and we were on Earth." And I was attempting to please you, his mind silently supplied.

"I'm still human."

"Evidently, however, Spock is not."

"He's half human. You seem to like to forget that."

"I do not. But half human is not human." He took a deep breath, his eyes fixed blindly on his work. "And we are living here, and observe Vulcan customs."

"It was just some balloons and presents. Hardly something to scar his fragile Vulcan psyche."

"Where did you find balloons on Vulcan," he asked, looking at her, unable to resist his curiosity.

"I ordered them a few months ago, from Earth."

He frowned slightly. "Then you have been planning this that long?"

"My only child's first birthday? Of course I have!"

"Why?"

"Why?" Amanda floundered a moment. "Because...like I said…it's a tradition."

Sarek noted her more subdued tone and matched it. "And is it not also tradition for the father to be present, if not involved?" He noticed Spock toddle into the room, moving to the pile of now unwrapped gifts waiting near the door.

She pressed her lips tightly together. "Yes, but I didn't tell you because I knew you'd act this way!"

"Spock is here," he said, going back to his work. 

Amanda looked at their son. "So?"

Sarek looked at her impatiently. "So…this argument should be postponed until a time we are alone."

"No one's yelling, it's just talking -"

"Regardless, I do not think we should discuss our differing opinions in front of our son."

Amanda threw up her arms. "Oh, of course! God forbid the child learns that married couples don't always agree on everything and sometimes have to actually work things out!" She stormed out the room, her display earning only a cursory glance from her son.

"Now you are yelling," Sarek quietly uttered, knowing she was too far away to hear him. He steepled his hands and closed his eyes, taking a moment to center himself so he could adequately concentrate on his work. A small tug on his tunic pulled him from his meditation. He glanced down to find his son beside him, holding in his arms a book and a globe-like device. He held them out to Sarek.

"Yes, I see, Spock. Your mother's family was quite generous."

He turned back, only to be struck on the leg with the aforementioned generosities. He turned back to his son, who raised his arms to be picked up. "You have your mother's subtleties, I see." He picked him up and set him upon his desk, facing him. Spock held out the book for him to take. "An A-Z Animal Dictionary," Sarek read the title out loud, randomly opening to a page. For each animal there was a picture and a brief, simply worded synopsis of the species. "This should provide an adequate introduction to Terran fauna," Sarek complimented. He turned to the C's and, turning the book around for Spock, pointed to the picture of a domestic cat.

"Cat!" Spock eagerly supplied.

"Correct. They are a popular pet on Earth. You mother had one when I met her." He turned the book back around to glance at the other entries on the page. "Rather unpleasant beast, as I recall." 

"I want cat!"

Sarek closed the book firmly. "What else do you have," he asked, distracting his son from his illogical desires. Spock handed him the globe device. At first Sarek was puzzled, the major land forms were labeled, as the waterways were, but the plastic was mostly transparent, and covering the globe were many clusters of small holes. Then he understood. "Ha'gel a'tja," he commanded, and immediately they were cast in darkness.

"Nigh'night?"

"No. Watch." Sarek set the globe upon the desk and activated a switch at the bottom. The ceiling was lit up with tiny dots of light. "This is what the night sky looks like from Earth," Sarek explained, touching the different land masses and watching the stars change accordingly. He touched the one that included San Francisco and left it. "One day you will see this in person," he promised.

"Earth." Spock's shadow played across the room as he toyed with the globe.

"Yes," Sarek confirmed.

"I go."

"Eventually." Sarek watched as his son examined the globe, studying it.

Suddenly Spock glanced up at him, the pins of light making his childlike grin somewhat sinister appearing. "Get cat," he asked, raising his tiny eyebrow in a perfect imitation of his father.

Sarek released a very unVulcan sigh.

**~~**

Sarek stepped out of his office, turning to close the door behind him, his nearly-asleep son balanced carefully against his chest. He had called for Amanda some time ago to fetch the child, but she did not respond. No matter, he did not mind changing his son for bed – now that he was fully trained. Sarek laid his son upon his bed, picked out some appropriate clothing, then gently changed his clothes, attempting not to rouse the child any more than necessary. He had very nearly made it out the door when Spock called out, expecting to be sung a song, as was Amanda's custom. Vulcans never really developed much of a verbal form of music, but Spock was undeterred. After several minutes of negotiation, Sarek retrieved his lyre and played several slow, soothing songs until Spock's breathing rhythm had slowed enough to indicate a state of slumber. 

Setting the lyre down, Sarek sat next to his child, watching him sleep. It was only a few years ago that he and Amanda sat in this room, at that time completely empty, wondering – and worrying – if they would ever see if filled. But…here he was. His son. Their son. In some ways fragile compared to Vulcan children, but in other ways so much stronger than anyone had expected.

Making hardly a sound, Sarek slipped from the room. He entered his bedroom, noting the soft light coming from under the lavatory room door. He set his lyre aside, then quietly moved to the door, opening it to peer inside. He could not see his wife, but he knew she was in the tub based upon the lighted candles lining its end. He stepped inside, closing the door behind him, and approached the tub. Amanda lay upon her back, the bubbly water covering all of her except her face and the one knee she kept propped up. He squelched his instinctive fear, knowing statistically it was improbable that she would drown in that amount of water, particularly as she has swimming abilities. Nevertheless, he always found it disturbing when she submersed herself to such a degree. 

Sarek took a towel from a cabinet and folded it lengthwise to place upon the tub's edge, then sat upon it. Between her ears being submersed and her eyes closed, his wife had not yet noticed his presence. Amanda claimed that doing as she was now, blocking out everything around her and submersing in warm scented water, helped to restore her emotional equanimity – like a meditative aid, Sarek supposed. At least, that was the argument he used to justify the extravagance to his family. He had this tub installed for her when they married, knowing humans in general, and his Amanda in particular, enjoyed such devices. It was an indulgence he paid, and still pays, quite heavily to the clan for since, even though they recycled their water as is mandatory on Vulcan, they still used above the accepted water limits for a family of three. 

Sarek reached out with a finger and brushed the bubbles off her knee. Her eyes snapped open, and she watched him, her face impressively impassive. Not a good sign. "I put Spock to bed."

She blinked, once.

"I have been considering the incident, Amanda, and there is a possibility that I may have reacted stronger than the situation warranted."

She frowned, her mouth tightening slightly.

Sarek took a deep breath. "Very well, if it will appease you to hear it in your terms…I am sorry. You are correct that most likely there is no harm in these events." He paused a moment, disturbed by her lack of response. "Do you forgive me?"

Amanda sighed sharply, sliding up to a slouching position. "What?"

"I asked if you…" Sarek paused, his eyes narrowing speculatively. "You heard nothing that I said?" 

"My ears were full of water, weren't they."  
He had learned this tone meant it was not a question. "Spock is asleep. He was quite fatigued after the day's…events." Her face furrowed in anger. "He seemed quite impressed with the selection of gifts your family sent him," he said quickly, hoping to dam the deluge of accusations and insults he was certain would spring forth. 

"I'm surprised you haven't dumped them into the recycler yet." 

Sarek gave a minute shake of his head. "Their gifts were all quite appropriate and educational…therefore logical." 

"Of course they were!" She sat up straighter in the tub. "What'd you think they would send him, toy phasers and meat products?" 

"Meat products cannot be shipped interspace privately." 

"You overreacted today. You always overreact when it comes to my family."

"They do not understand our ways as you do. They cannot conform." 

"So? Would it really be so terrible if Spock saw a little of his human culture? If he were loved in a human way?" 

"It would confuse him. We agreed long before-" 

"I know! But that was before he was real, Sarek. I didn't know how hard--" her voice broke, and she pressed her lips together tightly to stifle the sobs. Amanda kicked at the drain lever, causing it to open, then stood up and wiped the bubbles from her body. Sarek stood as well and held up his towel, spread out, for her to step into. She wrapped his towel around her and stepped away as she tucked the end in to hold it up. "It's like he's not even mine." 

"Illogical. You birthed him, you cannot question if he is yours." 

She shook her head. "Biologically he is mine, but…" Suddenly she turned to him. "Sarek…how would you feel if you were told you could never touch his mind? You could never teach him about Surak or Vulcan or logic? If you were told you have to treat your son exactly as a human father would?" 

Sarek pressed his lips together tightly. "That would be quite impossible, as you know, Amanda. Spock's Vulcan biology makes it necessary-" 

"I know, but what if it didn't?" 

Sarek's brow furrowed. "It does. There is no logic in speculating otherwise. A human can choose to live as a Vulcan with no adverse consequences; a Vulcan cannot live as a human." 

"But Spock's not really a Vulcan." 

"He is Vulcan," Sarek said sternly. 

Amanda stepped up to him, brushing her hands softly over the glyphs across his tunic. "Not really. No more than he is really a human." 

Sarek took her hands in his. "We agreed it was best to raise him in the Vulcan way…not because I wish it, but because the Healers also believe so." 

"That doesn't mean they're right…" 

"Perhaps, but no harm can come from raising him as Vulcan." He pulled her closer. "My wife…I understand this is difficult for you, and Spock will, eventually, learn all about your culture and customs, but for now, while he is so young and impressionable, it is imperative he be given a solely Vulcan example to follow. He will not conform to acceptable behaviors which are essential for him to fit into our society if we do not. We would be doing him an injustice." 

Tears spilled over her cheeks. She stared at his chest, shamed at her show of weakness. "But it feels wrong, Sarek." 

Sarek tilted his head, the corner of his lips curling slightly. "And how often in your people's history have monumental mistakes been made because at the time it 'felt right'?" 

As she glanced up he raised a brow and nodded once in approval, certain of her acquiescence. Amanda stepped out of his arms, crossing her own tightly around her. She lifted her chin defiantly. "You mean like deciding to marry an alien, and moving to a planet where your every natural instinct would be judged and deemed obscene, simply because you loved him even though you knew you had everything working against you?" 

Sarek's face tightened. "That is not what I mean." 

"Make up your mind, Sarek. You can't tell me it's wrong to follow my feelings then tell me following my feelings wasn't wrong," she tossed at him angrily as she strode into the bedroom. Sarek followed closely behind. 

"When your emotional whims happen to coincide with logical justification it is acceptable. In this case, it does not." 

"Bullshit," she said, unequivocally, as she searched through her closet, angrily brushing aside that which she found inadequate. 

"Enough," he said darkly, his eyes fixed on the edge of her towel where it dipped low on her back, her erratic movements loosening its hold. She turned toward him, the fabric held with one hand barely covering her breasts, in the other a sheer satin gown she brought with her from Earth. He recognized the stirring within him, and accepted it. "Impudence…insults…cursing. Is this what I can expect every time you bring Spock into contact with your people?" 

She stalked up to him. "That's another thing! Every time you refer to my side of the family, even to Spock, it's always "your mother's people" or "your mother's parents" but when you refer to your side of the family it's "our clan" or "sa'mekh'al Skon. Spock is as much a part of "my people" as he is part of your clan! You are a part of this "Human" family too, whether you'd like to admit it or not!" 

He was staring down at her, his eyes roaming over her flushed cheeks, the flowery scent of her skin mixing with the sweetness of her breath as both wafted up to him in her exuberance. "You are…" he sighed softly, "alluring when you are like this." 

Amanda glanced at him nonplussed. "What?"

"Alien," he murmured quietly, moving closer to her. 

"Shut up…" she muttered back. 

Sarek brushed his fingers over her erythemic flesh. "Exotic." 

"You're trying to distract me," she accused, whipping at him with the nightgown, which he caught in his hand and pulled from her grasp. 

He rubbed the fabric against his cheek and mouth, his eyes locked with hers. "Erotic." 

She pulled the towel up to cover her better. "We're going to settle this." 

He pulled her hard against him; her towel fell to the floor at their feet. "Later." He nuzzled his face against the crook of her neck. 

"Now," she insisted, attempting to pull away. 

"I am forced to choose between what is best for my son and what is best for my wife." 

"No," she quickly denied, shaking her head. "Never."

He stroked his paired fingers down the bridge of her nose and across her cheek. "I refuse to choose between you. I must find a solution that will benefit you both; however, at the moment I find…I lack adequate focus for such a task." 

"You assume what I want is not good for Spock." 

"You know how difficult it is for you to remember to…curb your behaviors so as not to offend those around you. You, a mature, educated woman. Can you imagine how difficult it would be for a child to remember…to conform to one set of rules in public but another here at home?" 

"Ma-ma…" 

Sarek quickly handed the gown to Amanda to put on and moved toward the open doorway to find their son toddling down the hall. "It is not yet morning, my son," he said as he took Spock into his arms and brushed his fingers across his PSI points. 

Spock rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Ma-ma." 

Sarek nodded and took him into the bedroom, turning so his son would see Amanda sitting on the bed. 

"What is it, baby?"

"He senses your distress," Sarek informed her grimly, tightening his grip on the boy to thwart his efforts to bodily throw himself toward his mother. 

Amanda sighed fretfully. "I'm sorry." She beamed a false smile toward her son. "Mommy's fine." 

Spock stopped his struggles, so Sarek placed him down on the floor. "As you can see, your concerns were unwarranted. Now it is time to return to bed, child." 

Spock looked from his father to his mother. "Sing?" 

"No. We have already put you to bed once. You will return on your own." 

Amanda looked at Sarek, dismayed, then closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. "Your father's right, Spock. Say good night and go on back to bed. We'll see you in the morning." 

Spock's brow furrowed in thought, then he turned to his father. "Shom well, sa-sa," he mumbled, holding his palm up." 

"Let'theiri shom, Spock," Sarek corrected, placing his hand against his son's tiny one and allowing their minds to brush. "Sleep well." 

Spock looked toward his mother. 

"Good night, darling. Let'theiri shom." 

Spock hesitated, so Sarek gave him a gentle push toward the door. "Go on," he encouraged. 

Spock stepped through the doorway then turned back to his parents, hesitating a moment, then ran as fast as his unsteady legs would carry him to his mother, grabbing onto her legs desperately. 

Amanda picked him up and set him on her lap. "What is it, Spock? Oh," she gasped in surprise when her son threw his arms around her neck hugged her tight. She wrapped her arms tightly around his back, ignoring Sarek's inquisitive gaze. 

"Nigh-night, ma-ma." 

"Good night, baby." 

Spock pressed his lips against her ear. "Wuv you." 

She pressed her lips against his cheek. "Love you too," she whispered back. He began to squirm, and she helped him off her lap then he ran for the door, his feet catching each other and sprawling him face down in the doorway. 

Sarek came to him, gripped the back of his pajamas and lifted him off the floor until they were eye to eye. "Are you injured?" His son shook his head. "It would seem logical to slow your pace to one you have mastered." Spock nodded, so Sarek gently lowered him back onto his feet. The moment he released his hold his son took off at his previous hazardous pace. 

Sarek waited until he heard his son clamor back into his bed, then closed their door and turned back to his wife. "Perhaps he is more human than I thought," he said wryly. 

Amanda smiled and nodded. "Don't take that away from me." 

Sarek crawled onto the center of the bed and pulled his wife back to rest against him. "He does seem to have some sense of what is acceptable to you versus me." 

"Maybe it won't be so hard for him…growing up with it like he is." 

"Perhaps," he murmured doubtfully. "Perhaps…if we keep things clearly defined for him…what is Terran and what is Vulcan." 

"So you only attend the Vulcan traditions and I only attend the human ones?" 

"No," he said shortly. "You attendance is expected here." She looked at him over her shoulder, raising her eyebrow meaningfully. He nodded in understanding. "Perhaps…if our traditions are separated geographically it would lessen the possibility of confusing Spock." 

"Geographically?" she asked hopefully, moving onto her knees and facing him. 

Sarek's face remained neutral. "Spock has expressed an interest in visiting Earth, and now has the means of beginning a rudimentary study of the planet. I suppose if these expeditions were to coincide with times during which your…our family is engaging in certain traditions it would be logical that we would attend as well." 

"Really?" she asked breathlessly. "We could go visit? Take Spock to see them?" 

"There are certain conditions which must be met," he warned her. 

"What?" she asked warily. 

"First, said traditions must not, under any circumstance, take place in any area in which I work." 

She smiled and nodded eagerly. 

"Second, and this is the most important, my wife," Sarek waited until he was assured he had her full attention. "Under no circumstances…no matter how much he asks, no matter how little an issue it may seem, no matter how often someone volunteers…under no circumstance will you permit our son to…get a cat." 

 

The End


End file.
